“It’s really indescribable,” said Burroughs shortly after being selected. “It’s a surreal feeling, you know, it’s a dream and it pretty much just came true.”

A 3rd Round selection of the Pats in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, Burroughs led the Blue and White in scoring from the blue-line with 33 points (5G, 28A) in 70 contests through the WHL Regular Season.

For his stellar play in 2012-13, the Langley, B.C. native was presented with the Charles Johnston Memorial Trophy as the Pats Top Defenceman. Burroughs’ brilliant second half of the season saw him as one of the fastest risers on the Central Scouting Draft Rankings, jumping 73 spots between the Mid-Term and Final Rankings.

“Kyle has been a valuable player for us the past two years,” said Pats Senior VP and General Manager Chad Lang. “His dedication and positive attitude has had an impact both on and off the ice. As a young player he has great leadership qualities. Our entire organization is very proud of him and happy to see Kyle rewarded for his efforts.”

Next on the schedule for the Regina Pats is the CHL Import Draft on Wednesday, July 3rdwhere the Blue and White hold the 16th and 76th selections.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Klimchuk told TSN’s James Duthie after donning his new Flames jersey. “Going into it, I knew how many picks Calgary had in the first round and I thought I had a pretty good couple interviews with them, but for this to actually come true and for my dreams to become a reality it’s an unbelievable feeling.”

The Pats’ 5th Overall selection of the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft finished the season second on the team in scoring with 76 points (36G, 40A) while playing all 72 contests through the WHL Regular Season.

In addition to the Calgary, AB product’s stellar play in the WHL, Klimchuk had a strong showing on the international stage. He won a pair of Gold Medals with Canada’s Under-18 program, first at the Ivan Hlinka Tournament as part of the summer program and then the World U-18 Championships where Klimchuk was second in team scoring with eight points in seven games.

“We are extremely proud of Morgan. He has been a big part of our organization ever since we were fortunate enough to select him in the first round of the WHL Bantam Draft,” commented Pats Senior VP and General Manager Chad Lang. “Being selected today in the 2013 NHL Draft is a true reflection of his hard work and dedication both on and off the ice.”

The NHL Draft continues in New Jersey with all seven rounds scheduled to take place today. For more Pats news from the Draft, visit ReginaPats.com.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

The 2013 NHL Entry Draft is just days away and there are two Regina Pats who are particularly interested. Morgan Klimchuk and Kyle Burroughs are both among the draft eligible players that have been on scouts radars over the past few years. Klimchuk is a lock to go if not in the first round then early in the second. Burroughs was ranked 133rd in the final Central Scouting list while Klimchuk was ranked 25th. Burroughs made a huge jump from the halfway point of the season from 206th in North America. Needless to say both players are a little nervous and excited to see what happens come Sunday.

Klimchuk says that this day is one hes been working towards for a long time. "Its a pretty good feeling. The day is starting to get closer now, its been a very long process for two years now ever since I stepped into the Western League kind of getting ready for this day. Its what a lot of your individual goals are focused around. So now the days starting to get closer now and its a good feeling but I'm definitely starting to get nervous."

Burroughs echoed that as well. "Its definitely nerve racking you know its something you look forward to your whole life. You never know whats going to happen and I'm excited for it to happen and excited for the future."

Burroughs added that he has been in contact with a number of teams. "Yeah I've talked to a number of teams so its exciting and will just be waiting for them to call your name... It would be a surreal feeling. Its something you dreamed about as a kid and you know you watch guys ahead of you walk that stage and hear their name called. Its just something you cant really describe but as a hockey player its something that you look forward to for your whole life."

Klimchuk talked with pretty well every NHL team at the draft combine in Toronto and that has continued since. he met with the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs in the last month and the phone calls have continued as well. "They went very well. I did very well in my testing in Buffalo and spoken with a lot of teams over the phone and tested again with Calgary in town here so overall I think things are going pretty well but teams aren't going to tip their hat to you so you really have no idea how things are going to go."

Klimchuk says while he will be happy just to be drafted but that being picked by his hometown Calgary Flames would be pretty special. "Anywhere you go you will be happy. Its pretty cliche but I'm a 100 percent supporter of that. I just want to play in the NHL no matter who drafts me or where I get drafted I just hope I get an opportunity to play. If I'm lucky enough and that's Calgary and i get to play in my home town in front of my family and friends I'd be very happy with that but any team I go to ill be very happy with."

Burroughs is a BC kid and said much of the same. "As long as I hear my name called that's all that really matters to me... (the Canucks) they've been my hometown team growing up and I've looked up to all their players so that would be an extra bonus but if it happens it happens but if not I will still be happy to say the least."

The NHL Draft from New Jersey starts at 1 o'clock Regina time on Sunday. Here are the full interviews with Klimchuk and Burroughs.

Cranbrook, BC – Jeff Chynoweth, General Manager of the Kootenay ICE Hockey Club, today announced the Club has hired Jay Henderson as their new Assistant Coach. Henderson, who has signed a two year contract, replaces Chad Kletzel who resigned in May to resume his teaching career in Lethbridge, Alberta.

“We are excited to add Jay Henderson to our coaching staff. Jay is passionate about the game and has been learning the coaching side of the business by giving back at the both the minor hockey and college levels for the past number of years. He was a leader throughout his professional career (team captain in 2004-2005 and three time AHL Man of the Year for Community Service) and played the game at the highest level and will be a good complement to Ryan McGill.” continued Chynoweth.

“Having coached Jay as player in both the Western Hockey League and American Hockey League I know firsthand that his hard work, character and commitment to getting better each and every day will allow him to succeed as a coach. He played professional hockey for 13 years and our players will benefit from his playing experiences and his knowledge of the game,” commented Head Coach Ryan McGill.

Jay Henderson played four seasons in the WHL with the Red Deer Rebels (1994-1996) and Edmonton ICE (1996–1998). He was drafted by the Boston Bruins in 1997 NHL Entry Draft (9th round – 246th overall) and played 33 games with the Bruins over three years. Jay also played parts of nine seasons with four AHL teams winning three Calder Cups in his career (Providence Bruins – 1998-1999, Houston Aeros – 2002-2003 and Milwaukee Admirals – 2003-2004). He finished his professional career in 2010 after playing in Germany (2005-2008), Austria (2008-2009) and England (2009-2010). For the past two years Jay was an Assistant Coach with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Ooks of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. During his time at NAIT he also worked with Hockey Alberta as a Head Coach for the Alberta Cup and as an Instructor with Team Pacific.

Jay Henderson is a 34-year-old native of Sherwood Park, Alberta. He and his wife Megan are the parents two children; daughter Mila (5) and son Seamus (3).

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Regina, Saskatchewan - The Team Pacific Management Committee (BC Hockey, Hockey Alberta, Western Hockey League and Hockey Canada) has announced the roster of players who will attend the Team Pacific Summer Development Camp with two Regina Pats prospects among those invited.

Defenceman Brady Reagan, the Pats 31st Overall selection in the 2012 Bantam Draft, and forward Austin Wagner, the Pats 5th Round pick in 2012, are among the 46 invitees to the late July Camp in Calgary.

Meanwhile, Team West has announced the 68 players from Manitoba and Saskatchewan who will attend the Team West Regional Summer Camp.

Forward Rykr Cole, the Pats 3rd Round selection in 2012, and forward Drew Litwin, an 11th round pick of the Blue and White, will attend Team West’s camp in early August.

Last year, the Pats sent one player (F-Adam Brooks-Team West) and one coach (Malcolm Cameron-Team West) to the Under-17 Challenge in Dummondville/Victoriaville and will be represented by a member of the coaching staff this year as Assistant Coach Josh Dixon will travel to Cape Breton.

The Under-17 program is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence. Many players who compete at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge go on to represent Canada with the National Men’s Under 18 Team, National Junior Team and National Men’s Team.

For more information on the Team West Regional Development Camp, click here.

For more information on the Team Pacific Summer Development Camp, click here.

The Regina Pats 2013/14 schedule was released along with the rest of the Western Hockey league clubs today. The Pats will play at home on opening night with the Swift Current Broncos in town on September 19th. For the first time the schedule was put together by a computer program.

President and GM of the Pats Chad Lang says his teams schedule has some positive aspects and some that they will have to deal with. "It was a new process that we went through as a league this year, more of an automated system. Rather than us being in person to discuss dates with the respective clubs but for the first go we thought there are some positives and yet theres some things we would like to tweak in our schedule. We fully understand not only does our building have challenges with the number of events that go on here but that can be echoed throughout the other clubs buildings as well."

Every team is looking for as many Friday and Saturday night home games as they can get in a season and Lang said the second half is really good for those at the Brandt Centre. "Were pleased in the second half with the number of Friday Saturdays in our building. The first half is a challenge. November were basically out of our building the entire month with the exception of the last week... Theres no question were happy with the amount of Fridays and Saturdays in our building but from a business standpoint we feel there is a couple of Fridays and Saturdays where we missed out. Whether it was building issues or being boxed out with other teams being on the road or unable to come to our building that day."

Lang had this to say about the road trips his team will be taking this season. "Well there's no question the US trip is always a challenge. Its a number of games in a short span with a lot of travel so that takes its wear and tear on the players. Maybe its a good thing that we are going out a little earlier than we had tended to in the past. When you look at Alberta theres a number of trips where they are 2 day trips rather than playing the three in three that's been the norm the last few years. We feel that's a positive for our club you know with the amount of travel to get out there. Yes it can lead to additional trips but I think we give our players a better opportunity to compete in those games. Where the challenge came this year in the scheduling is again with the number of events going on in the numerous buildings were seeing a number of games played on the Mondays and Tuesday and that hasn't really been the norm in the last few years. The things we look at with the schedule is always putting our players in a position where they can have success and when you look at our schedule this year not only do we have a challenge with the US trip but I believe we play 4 games in 5 nights, 5 times throughout the course of the season. No question there will be stretches throughout the year that will be a challenge for our hockey club."

Regina, Saskatchewan – The Western Hockey League announced its 2013-14
Regular Season Schedule this morning with the Regina Pats hitting the ice
opening night against the Swift Current Broncos September 19th
at the Brandt Centre.

After opening the season on home ice, the Pats head
out on the road for five straight road games in a road-heavy first half of the
season.

The Brandt Centre will be busy in the second half as
the Pats make their push towards the 2014 WHL Playoffs with the Blue and White
playing thirteen of their final twenty games on home ice.

Fans get their first opportunity to see the Pats in
the Pre-Season when they open they face off with the Prince Albert Raiders September
6th at the Cooperators Centre. Regina will play five
exhibition games in total, matching up with Prince Albert twice, Brandon twice
(@ home Sept. 14th) as well as a single contest against
Saskatoon.

Be a part of the action with 2013-14 Regina Pats
Season Tickets! In addition to taking in all 36 Pats home games, there
are great benefits to being a Season Ticket Holder including a 15% discount at
the Neutral Zone Store, “Bring a Friend” coupons and a special Season Ticket
Holder Gift. Starting at just $275 dollars Pats Tickets are available by
visiting the Pats Office or calling 522-PATS.

Calgary, AB - The Western Hockey League today released its schedule of games for the 2013-14 regular season.

The 2013 WHL Opening Weekend will launch on Thursday, September 19th, with the Regina Pats hosting the Swift Current Broncos at 7pm CST

The rest of the 2013-14 WHL Regular-Season schedule gets underway on Friday, September 20th , with eight games scheduled, including the 2012-13 WHL Ed Chynoweth Cup Champions Portland Winterhawks' home opener against the Prince George Cougars.

The busy opening weekend continues with 10 more WHL games set for Saturday, September 21st, including one of the host teams for the 2013 SUBWAY® Super Series, the Red Deer Rebels welcoming their East Division rivals the Kootenay Ice.

As mentioned, the WHL and the Cities of Red Deer and Lethbridge will serve as the official hosts for two games of the 2013 SUBWAY®Super Series in November. The CHL Top Prospects game also makes it way to Alberta, with the Calgary Hitmen hosting the top NHL Draft-eligible prospects on January 15th, 2014.

As in previous seasons, the majority of games will be played on weekends. Of the 792 games, 560 are scheduled for the weekend, with 233 to be played on a Friday, 243 on a Saturday and 62 on a Sunday. Additionally, 18 weekday games occur on various holidays throughout the season, meaning 70% of the schedule is played on a weekend or non-school days. During the week, Wednesday night has 123 matches scheduled, 99 games for Tuesday, 23 games on a Monday, and 10 contests will be played on Thursday.

Day – No. of Games (Percentage)

Monday – 23 (2.9%)

Tuesday – 99 (12.5%)

Wednesday - 123 (15.5%)

Thursday - 10 (1.2%)Friday – 232 (29.2%)

Saturday - 243 (30.6%)

Sunday – 62 (7.8%)

The 792 game regular season concludes on Sunday, March 16th with the 2014 WHL Playoffs and the battle for the Ed Chynoweth Cup beginning on Friday, March21st.

TORONTO, Ont. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, announced Friday that Brent Sutter (Viking, Alta.), head coach, general manager and owner of the WHL's Red Deer Rebels, will be head coach of Canada's National Junior Team for the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship, scheduled for Dec. 26, 2013 to Jan. 5, 2014 in Malmö, Sweden. Benoît Groulx, head coach and general manager of the QMJHL's Gatineau Olympiques, and Ryan McGill, head coach of the WHL's Kootenay Ice, will serve as assistant coaches.

Brent Sutter, 51, has coached Canada in international competition on four previous occasions, most recently at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Sutter led Canada to gold medals at the 2005 and 2006 IIHF World Junior Championships, going undefeated in 12 games over the two tournaments, and to a 7-0-1 record in the 2007 Canada-Russia Super Series, which featured both countries' national junior teams. Sutter won the CHL Coach of the Year award in 2000-01 after guiding Red Deer to a Memorial Cup title. He returned to the Rebels bench last season after three seasons at the helm of the NHL's Calgary Flames and two as head coach of the NHL's New Jersey Devils. Sutter also represented Canada as a player on four occasions, at the 1986 IIHF World Championship and 1984, 1987 and 1991 Canada Cups.

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TORONTO, Ont. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, announced Wednesday that Dale Hunter (Petrolia, Ont.), head coach, owner and president of the OHL's London Knights, will be head coach of Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team for the 2013 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament, scheduled for Aug. 5-10 in Breclav, Czech Republic and Piestany, Slovakia. Dominique Ducharme (Joliette, Que.), head coach of the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads, and D.J. Smith (Windsor, Ont.), head coach of the OHL's Oshawa Generals, will serve as assistant coaches.

Dale Hunter, 52, has spent 11 seasons as the owner, president and head coach of the London Knights, leading the team to three Memorial Cup appearances, winning the title in 2005. Hunter has been named OHL coach of the year three times, in 2004, 2005 and 2010, adding CHL coach of the year honours in 2004. Hunter spent part of the 2011-12 season as head coach of the NHL's Washington Capitals but returned to the Knights' bench for the 2012-13 season. Hunter is a veteran of 19 NHL seasons with Quebec and Washington, and had his number retired by the Capitals.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

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Both the NBA and NHL seasons wrapped up in the last 7 days
and I did not see either deciding game. Game 7 of the NBA Finals was on the
same night the Riders hosted the Stampeders on Thursday and then on Monday I
was attending my sisters grade 12 graduation and missed game 6 of the Stanley
Cup Finals.

I did however go back and watch the end of the NHL game and
wow what a finish. The Bruins let that one get away and I almost feel bad for
their fans. But being a Leaf fan I don’t. The Round one collapse for Toronto
was worse, 3 goal lead gone but at the same time it wasn’t the Stanley Cup
Final. Could you imagine having to shake the Blackhawks hands after all that.
Would be tough that’s for sure.

A big congrats to Regina Pat prospect Sam Steel on being
selected as one of 3 Canadians to attend the IIHF Hockey Development Camp in
Finland next month. There are 150 players going to take part and so this is
quite the honor for the young man. From what I’ve heard it’s an incredible camp
and will certainly get his foot in the door for international competitions.

The NHL Draft is coming up this weekend. Morgan Klimchuk is
a lock to get picked, the only question is where. I am really hoping a team
picks defenseman Kyle Burroughs who was ranked at the end of the year by
Central Scouting. He had a great second half of the year and it would be a huge
accomplishment for him. However if it doesn’t happen I’m not worried in the
least about Burroughs future in the game. TSN did its draft rankings and mock draft for round one last night. Bob Mackenzie had Morgan Klimchuk at number 30 in his segment but Craig Button did not include him in his mock draft. Even though Button ranked him number 18 in his rankings. Doesn't make much sense to me. All the guy did was score 76 points last season and win a gold medal at the U18 World Championships. I am a little biased however...

The Pats pre season schedule was released yesterday. The
team will start with a home and home with Prince Albert in early September and
then with Brandon the week after. There is also a single game in Saskatoon in between on the Tuesday. The regular season schedule will be released
today.

Back to the NHL. Can you believe the Vancouver Canucks gave
John Tortorella a 5 year contract. That seems like complete lunacy to me. I
mean I understand hiring a coach but 5 years is way too long in my
opinion.

How about all the buy outs in the NHL. Ilya
Bryzgalov is done in Philly and I'm sure Flyers fans everywhere are pretty
happy. I for one hope he lands somewhere and continues to entertain us with
crazy quotes. Red Deer Rebels owner, GM and head coach Brent Sutter will coach Team Canada at the 2014 World Junior Championchips. Here's hoping he gets another gold medal.

The Toronto Blue Jays lost their second game in a row at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays last night 5-1. After winning 11 straight they have dropped two. They are now 6.5 games out of first in the AL East and 4 games back of a wild card spot. Still vey much in the hunt but need to salvage a win today in Tampa and somehow get some wins in Fenway against the Red Sox in the next series.

The Riders could be without Geroy Simon on Saturday in
Edmonton against the Eskimos. He is dealing with a lower body injury. When
asked what his status was for the game Simon chuckled and said... “Probable, probably
not, probably.” If he doesn’t play it looks like Greg Carr will get the start.

The Regina Red Sox lost their fourth straight game last night 3-1 at the hands of the Swift Current Indians. As has been the story for much of the season, the bats were pretty silent last night. It was a well pitched game on both sides but the Sox couldn't muster much in terms of offense. I was talking with someone who knows the team really well and he said that its been a story of guys being a little passive at the plate this year. Taking too many pitches and getting in a hole early. But at the same time he said that they have a lot of talent and are comparable to the Blue Jays this season. Things just haven't quite come together but when they do, look out. The Sox play at home again on Thursday. Thats is all, have a great week.Phil@PhilTheThrill18

The Regina Pats second overall pick in 2013 is headed to Finland to take part in the IIHF Hockey Development Camp in Finland. The Camp will run from July 6th to the 14th in Vierumäki. Steel is just one of 3 players from Canada invited to the camp along with 157 others from different countries around the world. The two other Canadians are Kaden Elder of Saskatoon and Marcus Tesink of St. John, NB.

Steel said he's excited. "Yeah definately. Its an honor to represent Hockey Canada over in that camp and I'm really excited."

The Sherwood Park native said he found out about being selected about a month ago. "I didn't know much about it at the time but since I found out about it and looked it up a little bit and heard what people had to say about it it sounds like an absolutely amazing camp and I'm honored to be apart of it."

Only two other Canadians are taking part and Steel says that feels pretty good. "Anytime you can be mentioned among an elite group of people like that its an honor so anytime I can take that I will."

It will be Steels first time travelling overseas.

The camp is used as a platform to launch the IIHF's development and education programs, specifically aimed at assisting each national association to achieve individually identified objectives, and to promote global growth and development of the game. This includes bringing together players with a wide variety of skill levels to promote the development of emerging hockey nations, with the help of the top hockey nations within the IIHF membership.

The Regina Pats will open the pre season on the road in prince Albert on September the 5th against the Raiders. They will then return home to play the Raiders on the 6th. The pre season will wrap up the next weekend with a home and home with the Brandon Wheat Kings on the 13th and 14th.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Prince Albert SK- The Prince Albert Raiders announced today that they haveadded three scouts to their scouting staff, including Doug Padget, DwayneHutton and Ron Gunville.

Ron Gunville will serve as an Assistant Director of Player Personnel, takingover the responsibilities of Ray Dudra who recently retired.

Doug Padget, based out of Saskatoon, will be primarily scouting bantamplayers for the annual WHL draft in the northern Saskatchewan region whileDwayne Hutton joins the team as a WHL scout based out of Calgary.

"We are very glad to have added these three to the Raiders organization, andlook forward to working with them in the future," said Raiders Director of Player Personnel Dale Derkatch."

Friday, June 21, 2013

Calgary, AB -- The Canadian Red Cross announced today that the Western Hockey League has been presented with a national citation for their continued contributions to the prevention of harassment and abuse in hockey. The presentation was made recently at the WHL Annual Meeting in Vancouver.

“We are pleased to present the Western Hockey League with this honour,” stated Lisa Evanoff, Red Cross National Training Manger. “The WHL has been a leader in the implementation of Canadian Red Cross RespectED workshops and as a result have been very effective in educating their players in the presentation of harassment and abuse.”

The WHL has been a leader in creating safe environments for their players since 1997 following the courageous disclosure by former WHL and NHL player Sheldon Kennedy that he had been abused by his junior hockey coach. For the past 16 years, the WHL has ensured all players entering the League are educated on what constitutes abuse, bullying and harassment and how to prevent it from occurring. Each season, WHL players participate in interactive Canadian Red Cross RespectED workshops where they are provided with the knowledge and skills to assist them in developing respectful attitudes and behaviors, not only in hockey but also in life.

All hockey personnel with each of the WHL’s 22 Member Clubs are also required to be certified through the Respect in Sport on-line training program. Respect in Sport, which was co-founded by Sheldon Kennedy, further educates WHL Club management and staff on the importance of providing a safe and respectful environment for all WHL players.

“The WHL is honoured to receive the National Citation from the Canadian Red Cross,” commented WHL Commissioner Ron Robison. “The WHL is fully committed to continue working with the Canadian Red Cross and Respect in Sport to ensure we provide a safe and positive environment for all of our players.”

Thursday, June 20, 2013

CALGARY, AB. – Hockey Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Hockey League, announced Thursday that Montreal, Que., and Toronto, Ont., will co-host the 2015 and 2017 IIHF World Junior Championships.

Both cities will host a preliminary round group at each event, with Toronto hosting the medal round in 2015 and Montreal hosting the medal round in 2017. Canada’s National Junior Team will be based in Montreal for the round robin in 2015, and in Toronto in 2017.

The schedule for each IIHF World Junior Championship will consist of 31 games, and requires approval by both the IIHF and the 10 competing nations. The game schedule for the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship will not be finalized until early 2014, and will be based on the final rankings from the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship, which will be held from Dec. 26, 2013 through Jan. 5, 2014 in Malmö, Sweden.

The organization of the 2015 and 2017 IIHF World Junior Championships will be led by Hockey Canada, in collaboration with Hockey Quebec, the Ontario Hockey Federation, the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and evenko, and Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. Hockey Canada initiated discussions with Montreal and Toronto a number of months ago, after being identified as strong candidate cities that had also shown great interest in this event and participated in the bid process for a number of past IIHF World Junior Championships.

A legacy plan for the potential profits of these events will provide for grassroots support in both host communities and provinces, along with Hockey Canada’s 13 regional branches and the Canadian Hockey League. Additionally, part of the profits will go to the IIHF and help in growing hockey around the world.

The 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship left a legacy of over $21 million in funding to various levels of grassroots hockey at the local, provincial and national levels. The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance evaluated the economic impact of the 2012 world juniors at over $86 million. Alberta also set a new IIHF World Junior Championship attendance record, with 444,718 fans attending games in Calgary and Edmonton.

Information on public ticket availability for the 2015 and 2017 IIHF World Junior Championships, including ticket prices, will be finalized at a later date. To register for front-of-the-line ticket information, fans must register prior to July 8, 2013 atwww.hockeycanada.ca/2015juniors.

“This is an exciting day for hockey fans in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario as well as throughout Canada,” said Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson. “These two cities have a proud hockey tradition and have shown interest in this event for many years. We look forward to welcoming the hockey world in Montreal and Toronto.”

“The IIHF World Junior Championship is one of the great annual traditions in our game, and it is only fitting that two great Canadian hockey cities like Montreal and Toronto have the opportunity to host this prestigious event,” said Canadian Hockey League president David Branch. “The CHL is the top junior-age development league in the world and we look forward to showcasing our world class players before the passionate hockey fans in Montreal and Toronto in 2015 and 2017.”

“This popular event always unites and captivates hockey fans during the holiday season, and as such will produce important benefits to be used towards supporting and developing hockey programs across the country and, in this case, in Montreal and throughout the province of Quebec,” said Real Langlais, president of Hockey Quebec.

“The Ontario Hockey Federation is excited for the opportunity to partner with Hockey Quebec as the host branches in this venture to bring the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2015 and 2017 to cities with such history and passion for the game,” said Ontario Hockey Federation president Bill Bowman. “It will be a great opportunity to work with MLSE and Hockey Canada to leave a legacy from this event for the many children playing hockey in the OHF and those that decide to try hockey because of this event in Toronto.”

"We are extremely proud to welcome the World Junior Hockey Championship tournament to Montreal and the Bell Centre in 2015 and 2017 and contribute to the development of grassroots hockey in Quebec and the economic and cultural growth of Montreal," said Geoff Molson, Owner, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club, Bell Centre and evenko. "We have been committed to playing an active role in our community and hosting such an important international event will be beneficial to Montreal and the province of Quebec. With the celebrations of Montreal’s 375th anniversary, the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation and the 50th anniversary of Expo 67, 2017 will be a milestone year that will get underway with the presentation of the World Junior Hockey Championship and we are honoured to take an active part in this historic year".

“The Maple Leafs and the City of Toronto have been looking to host this event for some time, so today’s announcement is very gratifying,” said Tim Leiweke, MLSE president and CEO. “This is a great honour and our entire organization is extremely excited about the opportunity to co-host with Montreal in 2015 and 2017.”

The Quebec government will play a leading role in the hosting of the tournament, with a $2 million contribution. “It is not only a major investment for Montreal, but it is terrific for Quebecers, young and old. What these young players from around the world will accomplish on the Bell Centre ice will have an impact in arenas and on outdoor rinks across Quebec by encouraging everyone to be active,” said Marie Malavoy, Quebec minister of education, leisure and sport.

“The new Government of Ontario is committed to placing our province on the map as a premier destination for sporting events,” said Michael Chan, minister of tourism, culture and sport. “We welcome the IIHF World Junior Championship as an opportunity to showcase Toronto’s first-rate hospitality, increase tourism, create jobs and celebrate our shared love of the game.”

“Montreal is a major hockey city and is the cradle of our national sport. I am therefore pleased and proud to announce that the city will be contributing $1 million to the 2015 and 2017 IIHF World Junior Championships. Montreal hockey fans and those across the province will be thrilled to attend these championships and will definitely show up in large numbers,” said Richard Deschamps, member of the executive committee of the City of Montréal, responsible for sports and leisure.

The IIHF World Junior Championship will also be hosted in Canada in 2019 and 2021 as a part of an agreement that Hockey Canada worked out with the International Ice Hockey Federation and was approved at the IIHF's congress in 2009.

TORONTO, June 20, 2013 /CNW/ - Hockey Canada along with TSN and RDS announced today they have reached a new 10-year agreement, beginning in 2014, that extends their long-standing partnership dating back to 1991.

The new deal, negotiated exclusively with TSN and RDS, gives Canada's #1 English and French speciality networks multi-platform media rights to all Hockey Canada events including the IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP (World Juniors). Hockey Canada also confirmed today that the 2015 and2017 IIHF World Junior Championship will both be co-hosted by Toronto and Montreal - with TSN and RDS holding all broadcast rights.

As the official broadcast partner of Hockey Canada, TSN and RDS will deliver more than 30 games from key Hockey Canada events each year, including:

International events such as the IIHF World Junior Championship, IIHF World Championship, IIHF World Women's Championship and the IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship

Domestic events such as the World Junior A Challenge, the National Women's Under-18 Championship, the World Sledge Hockey Challenge, the World Under-17 Challenge, TELUS Cup, Esso Cup, RBC Cup, Allan Cup, and the Order of Hockey in Canada.

In addition to broadcast and digital rights, the deal also includes exclusive radio rights to the IIHF World Junior Championship and IIHF World Championship for TSN and TEAM Radio stations across the country, including TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto, TSN Radio 690 in Montreal, TSN Radio 1290 in Winnipeg, TEAM 1040 in Vancouver, and TEAM 1200 in Ottawa.

"It is rare to find a partnership so rewarding as the one between TSN, RDS, and Hockey Canada. Together, we have grown the profile of amateur hockey in Canada to remarkable heights and have helped to make theWorld Juniors one of the most-anticipated and most-watched events on Canadian television every year," said Phil King, President of CTV Programming and Sports. "Extending this wonderful partnership with Hockey Canada ensures our subscribers will continue to have exceptional coverage of some of the biggest domestic and international events in Canadian hockey."

"Hockey Canada is very excited to be able to continue its long-time and successful association with TSN and RDS as our media partners," said Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson. "TSN and RDS have helped grow many of our properties into Canadian traditions, and achieved record viewership numbers along the way. We look forward to working with TSN and RDS to continue to build our properties, from national championships through to new grassroots initiatives."

"Nothing galvanizes Canada like watching our hockey players proudly wear the Maple Leaf as they take on the world's best," said Stewart Johnston, President of TSN. "Hosting the World Juniors in Toronto and Montreal will help to further establish this tournament as one of the all-time marquee events in the Canadian sports. We are thrilled to be a part of the magic and look forward to delivering Canada's holiday hockey tradition to fans for years to come."

Hockey Canada is the third Canadian partner to extend its exclusive partnership with TSN and RDS in the past 20 months, joining the CFL and the Canadian Curling Association in signing a long-term rights agreement with the networks.

Record RatingsTSN and RDS have been the official broadcasters for Hockey Canada and the World Juniors since 1991. Since becoming the home of Hockey Canada, the networks have established new audience records forWorld Juniors tournaments, making it one of the most popular television properties on Canadian television.

In 2011, TSN and RDS attracted 6.7 million viewers for the World Juniors gold medal game, making it the most-watched event ever on cable television in Canada. Currently, six of the Top 10 most-watched telecasts on TSN are World Juniors games (based on PPM).

This past April, the IIHF Women's World Championship final between Canada and the United States drew an average audience of 782,000 viewers on TSN - making it the most-watched women's world championship final ever on Canadian television.

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Hockey Canada, a not-for-profit organization, is the governing body for hockey in Canada. Hockey Canada oversees the management of hockey programming in Canada from the entry level of the game for coaches, volunteers, players and officials to hosting National Championships in men's and women's hockey. Hockey Canada oversees Canada's participation in international competition, including World Championships, the World Cup of Hockey and Olympic Games.

About RDSLe Réseau des sports (RDS) is a French-language sports network offering a comprehensive, world-class programming line-up. Since its inception in 1989, RDS has developed an unparalleled programming grid featuring major events and properties that include the exclusive broadcast rights to the Montreal Canadiens and other NHL hockey games, the Stanley Cup playoffs and finals, MLS and Montreal Impact, CFL and NFL football, the Grey Cup and the Super Bowl, Tour de France, F1 and NASCAR racing, MLB baseball including the World Series, over 30 PGA Tour golf tournaments (including 4 Majors), ATP tennis and all Grand Slams, FIFA World Cup from 2015 to 2022, Euro 2016, Barclays Premier League as well as the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, Skate Canada and Canada Cup of curling. RDS is a division of Bell Media, which is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. For more details on RDS, please visit RDS.ca.